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Review
. 2015 Jun;92(6):138.
doi: 10.1095/biolreprod.114.126771. Epub 2015 Apr 22.

The endometrium as a source of mesenchymal stem cells for regenerative medicine

Levent Mutlu  1 , Demetra Hufnagel  1 , Hugh S Taylor  2
Affiliations
Review

The endometrium as a source of mesenchymal stem cells for regenerative medicine

Levent Mutlu et al. Biol Reprod. 2015 Jun.

Abstract

Stem cell therapies have opened new frontiers in medicine with the possibility of regenerating lost or damaged cells. Embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells, and mesenchymal stem cells have been used to derive mature cell types for tissue regeneration and repair. However, the endometrium has emerged as an attractive, novel source of adult stem cells that are easily accessed and demonstrate remarkable differentiation capacity. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of endometrial stem cells and their therapeutic potential in regenerative medicine.

Keywords: cell transplantation; endometrium; mesenchymal stem cells; regenerative medicine; stem cells.

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Figures

FIG. 1
FIG. 1
Schematic illustration of the migration and engraftment of BMDCs, EDSCs, and the differentiation potential of EDSCs. BMDCs migrate and engraft in the endometrium and endometriotic lesions. The presence of endometriotic lesions can decrease the flux of these cells to the eutopic endometrium. Furthermore, cells from endometriotic lesions can migrate back to the endometrium. Both of these mechanisms present a novel mechanism of endometriosis-related infertility. Once harvested from the endometrium and cultured in appropriate conditions, EDSCs can differentiate into a variety of mature cell types with therapeutic potential, including chondrocytes, insulin-producing cells, neuron-like cells, cardiomyocyte-like cells, urothelial cells, and megakaryocyte-like cells.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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